Frequency response of a speaker

K

Kishore0416

Audioholic Intern
Hi All,

I have seen few speakers showing wider frequency response range which is more than human audible range( subwoofers going to 15hz and some speakers giving more than 20khz frequency). If these are not in audible range...what is the use....please help me understand the intricacies of it...
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Well, you can feel ultra low frequency bass rather than hear it (altho some claim they can hear it), altho chasing ULF at sufficient dBs takes quite a bit of sub(s)....few speakers are even basic full range, tho and many will not play at significant levels that low either. There's some theories about the inaudible frequencies above 20khz enhancing things you hear but since most recordings don't have frequencies that high I just wouldn't worry about it (nor buy a speaker because it says it can reproduce it).
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Well, it depends on what you are after.
I like pipe organ, and the grand organs can play as low as 16 Hz. So a Sub is necessary to reproduce the full range of an instrument like that. Likewise, for HT, the LFE channel contains information from as low as 1Hz up to 120Hz.

On the other end, you may not hear above 20000Hz or lower depending on age or damage to your ears, but some will say that content above can add detail, clarity, or “airiness.” Some tweeters can play accurately beyond human hearing on their own, others not so much.

In some cases the inclusion of this data is marketing fluff, and in others is necessary info.
 
Pogre

Pogre

Audioholic Slumlord
I think there's unquestionably a benefit to being able to hit some Ultra low frequencies. You can't hear it but you can feel it. It can even add weight to music and make your speakers seem more open and spacious.

As far as 20 kz and up goes I don't think I can hear above 14 kz as it is, and that's being pretty damned optimistic.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
Hi All,

I have seen few speakers showing wider frequency response range which is more than human audible range( subwoofers going to 15hz and some speakers giving more than 20khz frequency). If these are not in audible range...what is the use....please help me understand the intricacies of it...
The standard quoted range of "20Hz - 20kHz" is a major simplification of the range people actually hear. Most adults can not hear all the way up to 20kHz. On the other hand, many people can hear a bit below 20Hz, although our hearing is very insensitive in that region. The "20Hz - 20kHz" range of audibility is just an easy-to-remember shorthand. There are some people who believe that human hearing extends much further out than 20kHz, but there hasn't been any scientific evidence of that.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
My late wife could hear earthquakes. She told me she heard this really low groaning sound. I thought she was crazy until our pet hamsters starting going apeshit in their cage and then I felt it. Talk about spooky.
 
davidscott

davidscott

Audioholic Ninja
I think there's unquestionably a benefit to being able to hit some Ultra low frequencies. You can't hear it but you can feel it. It can even add weight to music and make your speakers seem more open and spacious.

As far as 20 kz and up goes I don't think I can hear above 14 kz as it is, and that's being pretty damned optimistic.
Yep I have an audio test cd and I hear nothing at 20 kz and barely anything at 10. That's through either my Infinity tower speakers or my Grado phones. The joys of getting old.:(
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Yep I have an audio test cd and I hear nothing at 20 kz and barely anything at 10. That's through either my Infinity tower speakers or my Grado phones. The joys of getting old.:(
There's joy in getting old?? :eek: :p I want what your taking!!! :)
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
The standard quoted range of "20Hz - 20kHz" is a major simplification of the range people actually hear. Most adults can not hear all the way up to 20kHz. On the other hand, many people can hear a bit below 20Hz, although our hearing is very insensitive in that region. The "20Hz - 20kHz" range of audibility is just an easy-to-remember shorthand. There are some people who believe that human hearing extends much further out than 20kHz, but there hasn't been any scientific evidence of that.
It's not a bad standard, even if we can't hear the full range.

I think most people who say they can hear above 20KHz may be perceiving some kind of IM- the high school I attended had an alarm system that used Doppler Effect to detect movement and it supposedly operated in the 23K neighborhood. They had a metal driver and sensor that was placed where walls and ceilings met- It was an annoying thing to be there when they were working- more of a pressure sensation than an actual pitch.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
It's not a bad standard, even if we can't hear the full range.

I think most people who say they can hear above 20KHz may be perceiving some kind of IM- the high school I attended had an alarm system that used Doppler Effect to detect movement and it supposedly operated in the 23K neighborhood. They had a metal driver and sensor that was placed where walls and ceilings met- It was an annoying thing to be there when they were working- more of a pressure sensation than an actual pitch.
When I was a kid, I used to be able to hear some kind of transmitter from CCTV cameras, and it was obnoxious. I used to hate going inside of Sears because of it. Supposedly the sound it generated was a fair bit above 20kHz, but it was clear as a bell for me.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
I used to be able to hear if somebody left the TV on, even across the house... that high pitched whistle almost... everybody thought I was crazy walking around cocking my ears and twitching my head like a bird. Then I figured it out.
Hated that sound!
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
I used to be able to hear if somebody left the TV on, even across the house... that high pitched whistle almost... everybody thought I was crazy walking around cocking my ears and twitching my head like a bird. Then I figured it out.
Hated that sound!
Same here, those old CRT TVs could be pretty annoying, some were worse than others. The sound is from a transformer in those old TVs that put out a 15.7 kHz noise.
 
highfigh

highfigh

Seriously, I have no life.
I used to be able to hear if somebody left the TV on, even across the house... that high pitched whistle almost... everybody thought I was crazy walking around cocking my ears and twitching my head like a bird. Then I figured it out.
Hated that sound!
If it was Sony TVs, IIRC, that was 17,750Hz. I worked for a TV store- I hated it.
 
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